March 28, 2019 (EIRNS)—European Parliament Member Marco Zanni (Italy-Lega), known for his fight for Glass-Steagall and his collaboration with the LaRouche movement, was appointed Lega Foreign Policy spokesman in the EU Parliament March 11.

In an interview with online journal Affaritaliani.it March 15, Zanni explained that Italy wants to bring the U.S. and China closer on the Belt and Road (in Italy referred to as the “New Silk Road”).

The agreement with China does not threaten Italy’s historical alliances, Zanni says. “Our historical ally is Washington. The Agreement with China could rather make us the connection between the U.S.A., Europe and the Asian world. It is a difficult path but we are convinced we can accomplish it.”

If conditions set forth by Rome are fulfilled, Zanni says,

“Italy has an opportunity economically but also geopolitically. We are witnessing a big leadership crisis in Europe, which opens a political and geopolitical room in the relationship with the U.S.A. After Brexit and Donald Trump, Italy with its green-yellow government experiment can insert itself in this area of change and, thanks to its position, can become the privileged interlocutor of Washington in Europe, at the same time establishing itself as interconnection with Asian economies.

“The lack of infrastructure investments in Europe can be a stimulus for the U.S.A. to even more strongly criticize EU socio-economic policies. If many states today go outside of Europe to find money for infrastructure, it is because Europe has not favored autochthonous investments because of its self-destructive policies. The level of European infrastructure is ridiculous. The discussion about the BRI can be an additional stimulus for the U.S.A. and Europe to change their attitude toward infrastructure investment policies.”

Zanni’s first task as new Foreign Policy spokesman of the Lega in the European Parliament will be to build a multinational coalition that could become the largest political group or faction in the European Parliament for the May elections, as he explained in an interview with ADN-Kronos March 24. The group could be called “Alliance of European Peoples and Nations.” As Zanni explained, “Along with the word ‘nation,’ we want to keep the word ‘Europe’ alive, because we are for a radical change, certainly not for destruction.”

“In fact, we want a new Europe that coordinates nations with equal rights, with their sovereignty and their peoples,” because “so-called European sovereignty is a chimera that only Prodi, Monti, and Draghi want. Supremacy of national Constitutions on the Treaties is a fundamental point.” Romano Prodi, Mario Monti and Mario Draghi were all recent Prime Ministers, and Draghi is now European Central Bank President.

As a first step, Zanni explained, Lega head Matteo Salvini will hold a press conference in Rome or Milan where, flanked by some representatives of sovereignist and identity parties, he will launch a “Manifesto for Europe.” Salvini’s leadership, he said, “is international. He is the symbol in Europe for the change everybody is waiting for.”